What's it like driving through St Louis in the early morning peak hour traffic?

Question

I'm flying out of Lambert and will be driving 2 hours up I44 to get to St Louis... I was wondering if there are any major traffic jams during peak hour? I am going to try and avoid peak hour but unfortunately my flight is is 9am and I've got to drive 2 hours to get to the airport.

Answer 1

You'll be ok -- 44 to 270 to 70, at that time of day.  You have to get to the airport so early these days anyway -- you should be hitting St. Louis well before rush hour begins.

Answer 2

If you need to be at the airport by 7:30 am, you're probably ok. Just keep your radio on a local station so you can keep up with issues on I-270. I assume you'll be going I-44 to I-270 to I-70.  I-270 is the biggest traffic problem in the area.  

Answer 3

The major rush hour traffic starts at 7 AM on some days going north on 270. The heaviest on 44 starts a bit later. You never know from day to day how things will go. All it takes is one accident or stalled car and things come to a halt.I dont know if you have the ability to check the internet from your car but you can check out the websites for the local TV channels who are already broadcasting traffic by 5 AM. (www.kmov.com or www.ksdk.com.)  If you get to the airport the recommended 2 hours before your flight (7 AM) you will already by parked in the lot by the time the traffic starts to slow down.

Have a good trip!

Answer 4

Well, you will need to get to the airport at least 1-2 hours early.  So you would need to leave your house around 5-6 a.m.  At that time, traffic is pretty light, so you'll be okay.  Add on extra time if the weather is bad.  And make sure you allow for the long lines at the ticket counter and security.  I always try to arrive 2 hours early.